Make no mistake about it, WEC lightweight Alex Karalexis (10-4 MMA, 4-2 WEC) fights for one reason, and one reason only: he likes to hurt people.

A veteran of the very first edition of “The Ultimate Fighter,” Karalexis has been on the big stage since 2005, but something got lost along the way.

As mixed martial arts developed into a mainstream sport, Karalexis found just moderate success while he tried to fit the bill of an athlete in the budding industry. But as Karalexis readies for his “Aldo vs. Faber” showdown with Anthony Pettis, the Boston native says it’s time to return to his roots.

“I love how everybody is like, ‘Oh, the fighters are so respectful,'” Karalexis told MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com). “I hear that, but to do what we do, everybody’s got an issue. Whether you’ve got a girlfriend issue, a mommy issue, a daddy issue, something makes you get inside of there and fight in a cage.”

Karalexis said it’s that internal angst that always drove him to success in his younger years. Now 32, Karalexis said it’s time to channel that energy once again.

“Fighting for me is more of who I am than what I do,” Karalexis said. “My thing is, I didn’t grow up in a dojo getting a black belt, blue belt, brown belt. I don’t even have a belt. I never grew up in that whole respect kind of thing.

A former welterweight contender, Karalexis has found himself involved in several memorable battles in his time as a mixed martial artist. And with five of his 10 wins coming by knockout or TKO, Karalexis does little to hide his intentions when he steps into the cage.

“I’ve done a lot of thinking, and I’ll probably get in trouble for saying this, but to me, I was most successful when I had hate in my heart, and I let it out,” Karalexis said. “I don’t care about just winning. It’s cagefighting. It’s not pretty, and it’s not about competition for me.

“I don’t care about competition. If I want competition, I’ll go back to playing soccer or something. I’ll do wrestling tournaments. This is not competition for me. For me, it’s about being the baddest mother[expletive] around. I want to beat your ass.”

It’s a refreshing attitude from the perspective of a mixed martial arts fan, especially in light of the controversy surrounding the latest disappointing performance from UFC middleweight champ Anderson Silva at this past weekend’s UFC 112 event.

“Anderson Silva’s past few fights – and I joke around, but I’m also serious – if I ever fought like that, my family would be in my dressing room like, ‘Change your name; that’s an embarrassment,'” Karalexis said. “‘That’s not who you are. That’s not who we are. That’s not how Boston is.’

“I take that with me. I’m kind of like the blue-collar guy. I can’t do that. I understand it might be better for your career, but I can’t live like that. I could not wake up in the morning and brush my teeth and not spit in the mirror if I fought like that.”

It’s unquestionably that spirit that encouraged WEC and Spike TV officials to select Karalexis’ preliminary bout for the April 24 cable-television special. If Karalexis and Pettis deliver to the full extent of their capabilities, fans on the fence may decide to pony up and purchase the evening’s pay-per-view broadcast main card.

If Karalexis lives up to his pre-fight words, that won’t be a problem at all.

“I have a couple of goals every time I fight,” Karalexis said. “No. 1, I want people walking out of there going, ‘I would not want to meet that guy in an alley,’ and No. 2, I want my opponents’ friends and family afterward to sit around them in the dressing room or the next day and be like, ‘You know what? I think maybe it’s time you find something else to do.’

“Winning decisions is not enough. I want to dominate. I want to beat people up. I’m going to be the guy that’s pounding on your face until the referee tackles me to get you off, and it’s not for any other reason then that’s how I’m most successful. The more I try to change, the more I get myself in trouble.

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